William James, Anarchism, and the Picasso-Stein Circle

Historians in the fields of literature and art history have long recognized the profound impact of the philosopher William James on Pablo Picasso’s close allies Leo and Gertrude Stein, and some have acknowledged their possible role in conveying James’s philosophical outlook to the artist. But James’s surprising allegiance to anarchism and the effect of that ideology on the Stein circle have yet to be explored. James cast his own conceptualization of his philosophy in terms of anarchism and the role of aesthetic appreciation, sensory immediacy, and radical nominalism within that matrix. By reexamining James’s impact, we add an important philosophical dimension to the role of anarchism in shaping Picasso’s cubism from 1906 to 1914.

Duke Scholars

Author Patricia Leighten Art, Art History & Visual Studies